The present invention relates to devices which are employed for the purpose of retaining crickets (or other like fish bait hereinafter referred to as a cricket) for the purpose of placing them on a fishing hook and using them as fish bait.
Previously manufactured devices for this purpose would require the operator of the device to reach into the device and proceed to attempt to catch one cricket. Upon successful completion of this task, the operator would then attempt to hold the cricket in one hand in a position that would enable him to mount the cricket onto a fishing hook with his remaining hand. Such tasks often proved unsuccessful for two major reasons. The operator would catch more than one cricket at a time when reaching into the device. This would require the operator to attempt the release of all but one of the crickets and successfully return them into the device. The other reason is the operator is often unable to place a cricket into a position so that it may be mounted onto a fishing hook without the cricket jumping free from the operator's grasp.
A search of the prior art uncovered the following U.S. Pat. Nos. directed to this art: 4,030,226; 4,110,931; 4,207,993 and 4,825,577.
An entirely satisfactory means of both catching a single cricket and retaining him in a position to be mounted onto a fishing hook has not been available until the emergence of this invention.